Production of quasi-original sound-records.



No. 783,420. PATENTED' FEB. 28, 1905.

P. L. OAPPS & v.. H. EMERSON. PRODUCTION OF QUASI-ORIGINAL SOUND RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.14, 1902.

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NITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT QFFICE.

FRANK L. CAPPS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, AND VICTOR H. EMERSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PRODUCTION OF QUASl-ORIGINAL SOUND-RECOR DS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,420, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed October 14, 1902. Serial No. 127,297.

To all whom it may concern: I 7

Be it known that we, FRANK L. (Drums, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and VICTOR H. EM- ERSON, of Newark, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Production of Quasi-Original Sound-Records, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to disk sound-records, particularly those of the type wherein the record-grome is of uniform depth and with lateral undulations corresponding to sound waves, commonly known as zigzag disk sound-records, though it may be applied to other disk records.

The invention consists in procuring from a matrix already obtained from a genuine original sound-record quasi -originals, from which other matrixes may be obtained. The ordinary method of producing disk records is as follows: An original sound-record is made in a tablet of wax-like material by the direct action of the recording-stylus. This original record is then given a graphite coating to render its surface electroconductive. It is next placed in an electroplating-bath and a copper plate is deposited thereon by electrolysis. This copper plate is then separated from the wax-like original record, when it is found to contain a counterpart or reverse of the original record, having an elevated ridge instead of the depressed groove of the original. Finally, this matrix is employed as a stamp or die to impress the record upon the hard disks.

It is sometimes desirable to have more than one matrix of a given selection, so that the work of impressing the hard disk records for the market may go on more rapidly; but considerable expense attends the making of an original sound-record,because the talent employed singers, orchestra, band, &c. will exact a more or less high price. Besides, the same talent is not always available for making a second original record.

The object of our present invention then is the production of additional matrixes by first producing a quasi-original record from a ma trix already on hand.

Our invention will be best understood by describing one particular method of carrying it out and by reference to the accompanying drawings, that illustrate a preferred method.

Figure 1 is a plan showing the matrix in a pan into which the molten material is to be poured. Fig. 2 represents in perspective the hardened cake emptied therefrom. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the cake with its backing removed to expose the back of the matrix, and Fig. 4: shows the wax-like counterpart of the matrix constituting our quasi-original sound-record.

A is a shallow tin pan some two inches greater in diameter than the matrix-disk and having a rim A of, say, an inch and a-halfin' height. The matrix-disk B, preferably heated beforehand, is laid face uppermost in the pan, the lines 6 representing conventionally the ridges that correspond to the sound-grooves and indicating the matrix-surface. The ma trix-disk is placed so as to leave a space (0 around the edge of the disk B betweenits edge and the rim A. Into the pan is then poured the molten material, as from a spout C. This material may be the ordinary composition of the well-known graphophone- (or phonograph) cylinders and will be referred to in general terms as wax-like or wax, though we do not limit ourselves to this particular material. When this melted stuff is poured into the pan, it not only spreads over the matrix-surface Z) and the space a, but also (owing to the unpolished condition of the bottom or back of the disk B) it penetrates beneath the matrix-disk B, forming a layer or backing about one-eighth of an inch thick, so that the disk B is surrounded by the wax on all sides and becomes completely incased. hen the mass 'in the pan has cooled and become set and hardened, the pan is emptied, showing the cake D. Now if the molten stuff had been poured merely upon the matrix-surface b (and did not surround the disk entirely) it would cool and contract, drawing slightly away from the ma trix-surface at places, thereby admitting air between itself and the adjacent matrix-surface, with the resultof a bad counterpart. In

fact, no available sound-recordat all could be produced by such procedure; but by having the molten stufl' completely incase the matrixdisk the technical effect of its cooling and contracting is to bind its mass all the tighter to the matrix-disk and to produce the most intimate contact between the casting and the matrix-surface. Moreover, the casting is attached to the matrix-surface fixedly and will not shrink or draw away from it at all. This idea of completely incasing the matrix-disk on all sides forms the gist of our invention. After the cake D has been thus produced, as above, the backing is stripped away from the bottom of the matrix-disk. The matrix-disk B is then pried off from the wax cake D, and upon the surface of the latter will be found the spiral grooves (conventionally illustrated by the lines cl) that correspond to the original sound-waves. This cake D, with its spiral grooves d, is what we designate our quasioriginal and is employed in the well-known manner for producing other matrixes.

Of course the precise steps given are merely for the purpose of illustrating one manner of proceeding in order to carry out our invention, and we do not limit ourselves to the same, and our invention is available in connection with disk records containing soundgrooves with vertical undulations as well as those with lateral undulations.

Having thus described our invention, we claim.

1. The process of making sound-records from a matrix by surrounding the said matrix with molten wax-like material, permitting said material to cool and solidify with the matrix entirely incased in it, peeling off the solidified material from the blank surface of said matrix, and then separating the matrix from the record.

2. The process of making sound-records from a matrix of disk form by surrounding the said matrix with molten wax-like material, permitting said material to cool and solidify with the matrix entirely incased in it, peeling off the solidified material from the blank surface of said matrix, and then separating the matrix from the record.

3. The process of obtaining a reverse impression of the irregularities (constituting sound-records) on the surface of a flat tablet or disk, which consists in heating said disk, then placing the same face uppermost in a shallow pan having a larger area than said disk, next pouring suitable molten material into said pan and around the periphery of said disk and permitting said material to flow underneath as well as over said disk, then allowing the whole to (3001, .next stripping the back of said disk, and finally separating it from the cast.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FRANK L. OAPPS.

VICTOR H. EMERSON. l/Vitnesscs:

C. A. L. MAssIE, l/VILLIAM E. HILLS. 

